


For I Am Your Father And You Are My Son

by Autumnalpalmetto, IKnowWhoYouAre_Damianos



Series: Long Haul For Love [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew's still the baby whisperer, Dad!Andrew, Dad!Neil, Domestic Fluff, Established, Established Family, Established Relationship, Family, Family Bonding, Fluff, M/M, One-Shots started, Self-Indulgent, Sequel, diner au, it's so soft, there's also some teasing, trucker AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:33:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21569959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Autumnalpalmetto/pseuds/Autumnalpalmetto, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IKnowWhoYouAre_Damianos/pseuds/IKnowWhoYouAre_Damianos
Summary: Six months after Neil and Andrew got together, Andrew has a day off and time to spend it with Connor. Something unexpected ensues, and Andrew gets sentimental.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: Long Haul For Love [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1554100
Comments: 24
Kudos: 428





	For I Am Your Father And You Are My Son

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, SURPRISE. Here we are with the first one-shot to Eighteen Wheels And Three Beating Hearts. If you haven't read it, you probably should before reading this piece because otherwise... well, you're spoilered. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are highly appreciated.
> 
> And now, enjoy!

When the alarm went off, Andrew was already long awake. Neil had risen at five in the morning to cover for Matt, who had welcomed his second child just yesterday evening. But even though Robyn was managing the early shift at the diner today - which allowed Andrew to spend some time with Connor - falling back to sleep in an empty bed didn’t always come easy to Andrew, so he’d stayed up and thought about his little family.

Six months. Neil and Connor had moved in for good six months ago and Andrew still couldn’t believe it sometimes. A year ago, he had met the walking conundrum Neil Josten with his feisty boy, stumbling into his diner with exhaustion and terror marking their faces. Now, he was waking up next to the man every single day, seeing nothing but beauty and felicity on his face. 

They had chosen him, a broken man, and decided to call him their family. 

_ You deserve this _ , Bee told him over and over again. On some days, he believed her, on others, he wasn’t so sure if bliss and  _ Minyard _ could go together for long.

Nevertheless, they had worked through their issues and things were better than they had ever been for Andrew, so he tried to focus on Bee’s tip and rejoice in the current felicity.

The echo of little feet thumping along the hallway came to an abrupt stop, being replaced by rustling right at the bedroom door. Andrew couldn’t help it but smile at the thought of Connor pressing his ear to the door to hear if Andrew and Neil were still asleep. Andrew enjoyed being a good sport, so he covered himself with the blankets and closed his eyes, waiting for the door to open.

The door creaked as Connor snuck into the room, silently making his way over to the bed. It was unbelievable how hard it had been for Andrew to smile all those years and how hard it was now to keep a straight face. Faltering wasn’t an option so Andrew went limp and waited for Connor to finally crawl up onto the mattress.

“Anduuu,” the little boy squealed, happily slamming his small hands onto the blanketed frame in front of him. 

Andrew hid his smile in the pillow and wanted to drag their play out a bit longer. Connor wasn’t the most patient kid, so it wouldn’t take long for him to pull back the blankets and simply crawl onto Andrew’s body.

“Anduuuu,” he tried a second time, even louder than before, but Andrew didn’t move.

Silence settled in the air, nothing but Connor’s breathing and rustling audible as the toddler climbed over Andrew to look for his face. He pulled back the blankets and revealed Andrew’s blank, peaceful mask, the pretense emphasized by soft fake snoring. Andrew wanted to open his eyes so badly just to see Connor’s marveling expression, but it would end the game too soon so he kept them shut.

Sir mewled as Connor supposedly kicked her off the pillow, quickly surrendering and jumping off the mattress to seek refuge in her basket by the end of the bed. 

Connor’s small hand gently patted his cheek, the smell of his distinctive and peerless baby scent filling the air as Connor’s face got closer to his own, his small nose rubbing against Andrew’s stubble.

Andrew had to give in, that was for sure, but he waited for one last address before he would roar out and scoop the little crab up into his arms to tickle him to tears.

What he heard next was…  _ unexpected _ . 

“Daddy,” Connor whispered against Andrew’s cheek, placing a small kiss to the rough skin. 

Of all the things Andrew had anticipated, it hadn’t been  _ this _ . A minute ago, he had wanted to open his eyes to see that little wonder, arisen from the worst of circumstances and bloomed in the best makeshift plot possible, smile, but now he wasn’t so sure if he could open them without a tear, burning behind his eyelids, slipping out.

Connor crawled onto Andrew’s chest, leaning forward to wrap his tiny frame all around Andrew’s body. His breathing was even, and his body relaxed as he positioned his head on Andrew’s bare skin, starting to hum his favorite melody. Neil definitely couldn’t repudiate Connor’s genetic relatedness. 

“Morning, crabby,” Andrew whispered and enclosed the boy with his arms, pressing him to his chest. A sigh escaped Andrew’s lungs. A million tons of worries lifted off of his body. 

He had talked to Neil about Connor’s acceptance of Andrew as a father figure and Neil had been sure Connor would love him just as much as he loved his biological dad, but still, Andrew was cautious. He didn’t want to force Connor into seeing him as more than Andu. If the boy wanted him to be his dad, he would have to come around on his own. Now that he had, sentimentality flooded Andrew’s system.

“Morning, daddy!” Connor screeched and immediately jolted up, peppering Andrew’s face with more, admittedly slightly wet, kisses.

Andrew placed a small peck to Connor’s cheek before he lifted his arms and tickled the boy until all breath seemed to be gone from his lungs and tears rolled down his cheeks. 

“Me now?” Connor asked a few seconds of regeneration later, sitting up on Andrew’s stomach with hope and mischief glimmering in his eyes.

Andrew feigned consideration, leaning his head to the left and the right with a humming sound before he nodded and let himself get tickled by Connor’s way too tiny fingers. 

It had been a long process for Andrew to accept this closeness, let alone being tickled by someone, but Connor was the best sparring partner he could have asked for. There couldn’t be a bad intention at the back of his mind.

A long tickling session later, Andrew lifted Connor off the bed and got up. Connor had kicked him in the bladder so his need to pee was unfathomable, but first, the tot needed breakfast.

Of course, Sir jumped down from her cat condo and weaved through Andrew’s legs, begging for food with a heart-wrenching meow. 

“Hungry?” Connor asked with his mouth hidden in the crook of Andrew’s neck, voice muffled by the pacifier.

“Yeah, Sir’s hungry. Are you hungry, too, little bear?”

“Mmmmh,” Connor drawled, snuggling closer.

“How about you help me? Can you wait here for me for a moment?” 

Andrew didn’t really want to leave Connor to himself, but his bladder was about to burst and taking the boy with him wasn’t an option either.

“Where you go?”

“Just for number one. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Connor seemed to think about it for a moment before he nodded and sat down on the floor to pet Sir who had finished devouring her tuna filets.

As Andrew came back, Connor got up and took his place at the play kitchen, imitating Andrew’s actions at the stove. It was something they both had grown used to.  _ Like father, like son _ .

It was one of those mornings that could have lasted forever if it were up to Andrew and surely, Connor wouldn’t find it too bad, either.

~

“You’re late,” Andrew said when Neil opened the door, darkness long since engulfing the world. It was after 11 pm, and Neil looked ready to fall asleep in the doorway.

“My truck had an engine failure, so I had to wait for Kevin to drive out with another truck to get the cargo container and drive us back to Palmetto.”

Neil slumped onto the sofa and curled up against the armrest, pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes were red-rimmed, and his posture betrayed his lame attempt at feigning attentiveness. 

“I left you some dinner. I’ll reheat it and then you’re going to bed.”

“I don’t want to g—”

“No discussion,” Andrew interrupted in his newly discovered dad voice. Neil was as stubborn as Connor and sometimes Andrew had the feeling he needed to scold both of them in the same way because they didn’t know their own limits.

“Okay,” Neil sighed and let his head fall back into the cushions.

When Andrew returned, Neil was about to fall asleep. Andrew considered letting him get away with it, but he knew that Neil had barely eaten all day because Neil never ate when he was stressed, so getting some food into him was obligatory.

Neil’s copper curls felt as soft as Connor’s when Andrew raked through them, gently bringing Neil back to consciousness.

“Here. Eat. You need it.”

Neil stretched before sitting up and flashing Andrew his little stupid head-over-heels-in-love smile. Pretending he hated it didn’t make sense to Andrew; not after the long nights under soft covers, little moans and muttered promises they’d shared in the past six months.

“Thank you,” Neil said with his raucous voice, leaning upwards to press a gentle kiss to Andrew’s mouth before he started picking at his food. “You know what sucks? That I didn’t see Connor at all today. Every time I leave in the morning and come back in the late evenings, I realize I didn’t see my son all day, although seeing him grow up is so much more important than making money.”

Neil scooped up some rice and chicken and transferred it all into his mouth, munching away on it with a little pout playing on his lips just like Connor sometimes did.  _ Like father, like son.  _ Seemed like Connor was taking after both of them.

“It’ll get easier, Neil. You know what will make it easier?”

“Huh?”

“Going to bed to let yourself get woken up way too early tomorrow morning by Connor’s ambitions to show you how great Sir is sleeping in her basket.” 

When Neil snorted, Andrew had to let out a snort, too. Andrew had never thought he’d get a life like this, taking care of a child he  _ loved  _ and a man he  _ loved _ and  _ loving _ in general, but now that he had it, he wouldn’t want to ever be without it again.

“You’re a great dad, you know?” Neil said a few seconds later, putting his food onto the side table and scooting closer to Andrew. Nothing had changed. Neil never demanded; he always asked. Not always with words, but more with his gestures, his eyes, his patience, and so he did now, waiting for Andrew to open his stance to kiss him. There was no heat behind it, only trust and gentleness and a thousand words they barely spoke out but both knew were there, being exchanged through their lips.

When they came adrift, Neil cupped Andrew’s cheek and put a kiss to his nose, his blue eyes lidded and yet so captivating.

“Connor called me ‘daddy’ today,” Andrew eventually revealed, his eyes scanning Neil’s face for a reaction. He didn’t know if Neil wanted this, if Neil wanted Connor to call another man ‘dad’, but his softening features were reassurance enough.

“How do you feel about that?”

“You sound like Bee,” Andrew scoffed and averted his eyes to the carpet. “I don’t know. I never thought someone would ever call me ‘daddy’. It feels like I’m still in the wrong movie, as if I got called to the wrong set, as if I should star in a drama or thriller but somehow ended in this sappy rom-com I never auditioned for, but with a script that’s so much better than the ones I saw myself in.” Andrew paused for a moment before he added, “Oh, and the co-actor is so much hotter than the ones from the thriller and drama.”

Neil couldn’t hold back his laughter and slumped into Andrew’s side, his body quaking. “Is that what you do at Bee’s, because if so, I need records of your sessions.”

Andrew snorted and nudged Neil away, feigning huffiness. “I don’t need to tell you this. That was it. No more insights into my inner life.”

“Pouting suits you,” Neil said with a sly grin on his lips, his hand settling down on Andrew’s thigh. “No, I— What I wanted to say is, if you don’t want him to call you ‘dad’, just tell him. He’ll understand.”

“And if I  _ want _ him to call me ‘dad’; if I like it?” 

Andrew could feel Neil’s eyes on him, the search for a trap or a joke to come, but Andrew meant it. He liked it and if he could keep it, he knew he was allowed to. He knew he deserved happiness; Bee had told him more than once.

“Then you gotta deal with everyone teasing you about it by calling you ‘dad’ for the next twenty family-and-friends gatherings,” Neil said and laughed, nudging Andrew back. “Daaaad. Daddy. Daadaa. I like it, you know.”

Neil’s teasing was nothing compared to the others’ uncountable jokes he would have to suffer through, but being called ‘daddy’ by the boy he loved with such fierceness was worth it.

“Come on, dad, let’s go to bed,” Neil eventually said and got up, holding out his hand for Andrew to grab it. “Will you now read me a bedtime story every night?”

“Only if you ask as politely as Connor.”

“I guess I know a lot more and better ways to ask,” Neil whispered into Andrew’s ear and pulled him upstairs into their bedroom. 

Neil was right.   
  



End file.
